A passenger was left “devastated” after his last-ever long-haul holiday on a luxury Caribbean cruise ship in January was ruined by serious illness has called on specialist lawyers to help him gain answers in relation to the problems he endured.

Colin Brown, 72, from Leicester, developed breathing problems, a sore throat and high temperature just days into what was meant to be a very special two-week stay on board the TUI Discovery cruise ship. Colin advised that doctors on board diagnosed him with acute pneumonia.

The severity of the illness meant he was essentially confined to his cabin for the majority of the holiday.

Colin has now instructed specialist illness lawyers in Irwin Mitchell’s International Personal Injury team to investigate his case and help him gain justice from tour operator Thomson Cruises regarding the holiday nightmare he faced.

Nichola Blackburn, a legal expert at Irwin Mitchell who is representing Colin, said:

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“Illnesses of this nature can have a huge impact on the health of victims of all ages, but often both children and elderly people are hit the hardest.

“We are very concerned by the first-hand account we have heard regarding the problems on this ship and have now started to make our own enquiries into what happened.

“As part of our work, we would be keen to hear from anyone else who may have information or been affected by illness problems on board the TUI Discovery cruise in question.”

Nichola Blackburn, Other Legal Expert

After falling ill, Colin was treated at the ship’s medical centre with an antibiotic drip and a nebuliser to aid his breathing.

He recalled: “I had noticed the window in my room was filthy and falling ill was just the final straw.

“When I initially boarded I had seen large amounts of passengers walking around coughing and thought this was unusual. It was only during treatment that the nurse mentioned that there had been a large number of chest infection cases on the ship. She was even wearing a mask while treating me.

“I was really disappointed with the way the crew dealt with the outbreak of illness. I felt they could have done a lot more to try and contain it”

While Colin’s symptoms have subsided following further treatment from his GP on his return to the UK, he remains determined to discover how he came to fall ill.

He added: “I had been really looking forward to the cruise and a huge amount of planning had gone into arranging it.

“With it most likely being my last-ever long-haul holiday, I just wanted it to be extra special and enjoy plenty of sun. The illness was awful and meant I barely left my cabin other than to get more treatment or meals.

“I’m completely devastated that this dream holiday was ruined and I feel I deserve answers regarding how it happened – not just for my own peace of mind, but also to ensure no one else goes through what I have in the future.”

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